Sunday 26 April 2020

FOW1 - Capture Le BonBon 1944

US M5A1 Stuart tank of the 4th Armored Division (VIII Corps) advances.
Link

"Operation Cobra has begun, the US Troops have punched a hole in the German lines.  A mixed US force has penetrated through the breech, the cry goes up, capture the strategic village of 'Le BonBon'..."


A US force of 110 point led by 'The Spav'

Armored Rifle Company HQ
2 x small Armored Rifle Platoons
1 x Armored Rifle Mortar M4 Platoon(3)

105mm Artillery Battery (off table)
2 x Thunderbolt Fighter Bombers
1 x Anti-Air T28 Platoon
1 x Cavalry Recon Platoon

Tank Company HQ
1 x M5 Stuart Platoon (5)
2 x M4 Sherman Platoons (4)
1 x M4 Sherman Assault Gun Platoon (2)

US set-up
 German Force 92 Points, yours truly!

Panzergrenadier Company HQ
2 x small PzG Platoons
1 x 8cm Mortar Platoon (2)
1 x 7.5cm Pak 40 Platoon (2)
1 x 20mm AA Platoon (2)
1 x 7.5cm Infantry Gun Platoon (2)

1 x 105 Artillery Battery (off table)
1 x Sdkfz 251 AA(2)
1 x Me109 Fighter Bomber
1 x Scout Recon Platoon

1 Tank Company HQ
1 x PzIV Platoon (3)
1 x Hetzer (2)


Set-up anywhere south of the line

Lovely Le BonBon, flattened by US artillery....

Dig in Lads!!

The PzG platoons were placed in the ruins.

Tank Destroyers covering the main road.

Yes, I did... D'Oh!

Smack in the middle.

The Panzer IV's were placed to the East of the village

Turn One  - CCHHAARRGGE!!!

Spav went for a broad advance.

The Cavalry Recon & Stuarts were sent along the right flank

Good shooting, a PzG section is destroyed.
The Yanks lay a smoke screen to hinder the Panzer IV's.

German Artillery Bails out some Half-tracks.


German Half-tracks take out a Jeep.


TURN TWO
One US Platoon heads for the village.

The Stuarts engage the Germans

The other Platoon hugs the Bocage..

Looking good for the Yanks!!!

A Half-track is destroyed

Another PzG section is destroyed.

Here come the Luftwaffe!!!!

Attack!!!

Line up those lovely guns!!

OOohhh!!!
You know that moment when ALL your die rolls come through...
Spav is 'GURNING' as German Artillery hit home.

The 'noble' Art of 'Gurning' to all non-Brits...

'Do Whart?'
Just 2 'Bail Outs' from the bombs...

The first of many Shermans is knocked out.

The German Half-tracks take out a Greyhound.

The US right flank.

The US centre.

The US left flank.

TURN THREE
Finally Spav gets his Thunderbolts.... 

The Stuarts race after the retreating German Half-tracks.

The German guns are in sight...

The attack on 'Le BonBon' is going well.

I'm do not like the look of the Sherman 105mm's.... 

Lots of firepower this round for the Yanks.

The German Recon Platoon is knocked out.

Another PzG section is killed.

AAarrghh!
Two Panzer IV's are knocked out.

The German turn, the US Tanks go Boom!

I manage to knock out one of those pesky 105's...

More Shermans brew up!


TURN FOUR
Return of the Thunderbolts!!!!

I know where they are heading!!!

A Sherman Platoon captures the bridge.


One of the Rifle Platoons attacks.

The weight of German firepower is too much.

One of the infantry guns is bombarded.

The German PzG Anti-tank weapons came through!!

Not Good for the Yanks...

TURN FIVE
The US Morale rolls are appalling...

FULL REVERSE!!!!!

"Where are you going fellas???"

Spav's last hope!!
A one for his 'un-pin' roll..
With that he throws in the towel.

The Germans hold Le BonBon.

The Panzergrenadiers were really good.



"OUR TROOPS DID WHHAAAARTT?"

 A brutal game, Spav laments that his Fighter-bombers did not arrive earlier.  I put it down to his overall poor die rolls.  Dug-in Infantry are very hard to dislodge in FOW & Team Yankee though.  More FOW games ahead!

7 comments:

Just Jeff said...

It's not Spav's fault, what with all those Tiger tanks, Jagdpanthers, and 88s! ;-0

MrF said...

Now then fella

It was the mighty Hetzer that helped in this one!

The game went really well, we enjoy the 'Battlefront' mechanics. as long as you do not mind loads of die rolling. Shifting dug in Infantry is a right ball ache though.

All the best
MrF

Just Jeff said...

Artillery and tac-air!

Just watch out for all bvb those 88s!

Jeff Hancock said...

Oi! Whens the Geordies gonna show wiff dayz Crommies and 25pders?

MrF said...

Now then Geoff

The 'Green Howards' have appeared on the Normandy & Italian battlefields. Their exploits have been recorded & will appear in due course my friend!

Time, that precious commodity is always against us. I understand why so many gamers use video reports these days instead of photo updates for the hobby.

I'm on my Rest Days in a few days, I will get some more posts done then.

All the best
Mrf

Greg P said...

It is not my preferred period for wargaming but what an excellent game!

Well done Spav and MrF.

MrF said...

Now then Greg

Loved it, we had been looking forward to a WW2 scrap for a while. Hopefully many more will be played, the Battlefront rules are fun to play. Still got a 1967 Israeli/Egyptian & a Team Yankee Soviet/West German game to edit/post.

We have gone 'mechanized' for a while, I reckon we have played the pants off the DBN rules. Don't worry, it takes just watching one film/documentary & I'm back into that period. Though at the mo, I'm looking at re-vamping our Zulu British force....

All the best
MrF